Worth It
by CoyoteN7
Summary: Ash Ketchum is a student at Kanto High School and now in his senior year. Being the captain of a football team expected to win it all puts tremendous pressure on him, but meeting the most beautiful girl he had ever seen seemed to help carry his burden. However down the road he may discover that it could be the thing that makes him come crashing down. Pearlshipping. T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, I'm kinda back hehe. It's been like a year since I wrote a Pokemon story, but I'm ready to pull off another high school full of drama and excitement! It's going to be different from my previous one and a little more school centered. It still will have sports in it but not as heavily as the last one. I hope you all will enjoy!**

* * *

Ash's car came to a halt as he pulled into his normal parking spot, powering down as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. The raven-haired boy then let out a long sigh as he looked at his high school campus from the seat of his car.

"One more year of this garbage," he assured himself as he threw over a red and tan "Kanto Warriors Football" hoodie and backwards cap. Being a senior, Ash Ketchum was one of the more popular kids at the school despite his quiet personality. The fact that he could sling a football 70 yards without blowing out his elbow definitely didn't help keep his low-profile. He was the starting varsity quarterback at his school, and multiple colleges would like to give him that title in a year's time as well. As good as he was, he didn't gloat about it, which definitely was a rarity where he came from.

He then opened his car door and a cold breeze rushed in. While their area did occasionally get snow in the winter, it was rarely this cold during September. It was a crisp 45 degrees in the waning months of summer, which gave Ash the idea that they would be playing a game in the snow this year, which he really had no problem with.

Slinging his backpack around, he shut his door and locked up his car. At the same time, an all too familiar car pulled up next to his blasting music real loud. Ash rolled his eyes as the car stopped vibrating from the music and the door opened.

"Hey Ash!" the boy said.

"Hey Gary. I see you got a new sound system in that hunk of junk," Ash teased him as always. His spiky brown hair appeared along with his blue eyes and sharp smile as he shut his own door.

"Oh hell yeah. Girls love to turn up and you know it!" Gary said as he locked his car. The two then made their way towards the campus entrance.

"Do they now? Last time I remember they were _running_ from your car complaining about the horrible music was," Ash reminded him.

Gary shook his head. "I'm sorry they had no taste in music," Ash rolled his eyes. Gary always had a slick clapback up his sleeve. They approached the gate and headed in to find the school sparsely populated for now since there was still a good half hour until school got started.

"Let's head to the cafeteria and chill. Maybe we can find some good-lookin babes," Gary suggested.

Ash scoffed. "You're such a hoe. It's the first day of school why don't you give it a rest for a bit." Gary shook his head.

"Fine." He replied. They still headed to the cafeteria in the middle of the campus to escape the cold. The place was lit with minimal lighting due to the cloudy sky outside. Almost instantly they recognized one of their friends sitting alone at one of the tables. His blue hair peeked out from under his red hat with his blue hoodie over his body.

"Look who it is! The man who _penetrates_ the defensive line with his speed," Gary shouted while Ash cringed.

The blue-haired boy looked at Gary shaking his head as he stood up. "Ohhhh I'm gonna beat your bitch ass one day." The two laughed as they shook hands and hugged each other. They broke up and the boy turned to Ash.

"Ash Ketchum, how have you been?" he asked as he shook hands with him.

"Lucas Berlitz, the fastest man alive," Ash complimented. Lucas had transferred from Sinnoh High to Kanto High last year to start at running back. He had an amazing year and broke the school record for all-purpose yardage in a single season. Not only was he fast, but big enough to shake tackles and truck if necessary. Ash remembered how Lucas was almost a for sure first down on 3rd and short.

Lucas sat down with them, smart phone in hand. "You guys want to take a guess whose number one on the Maxpreps power rankings? The Kanto Warriors."

Ash and Gary both replied with a " _ayyyeee_ " obviously excited. Lucas continued, "Yeah I talked to coach this morning and he said we got that cornerback from Twinleaf High to transfer here. You know, the one who held Gary to one reception all game."

Gary pointed a finger at Lucas defensively. "It was a 60-yard reception mind you!"

"It was also at the beginning of the game, and he had you locked up the rest of the game trust me I know," Ash reminded him. "No one does that to you Gary."

He sighed and shook his head. "Barry Norman was his name. I'll never forget. He talked so much shit I was about to throw up hands."

Time had gone by and more people were starting to fill into the cafeteria, escaping the cold. Gary looked up to notice that another one of their friends was approaching. "What's up lettuce?"

A green haired boy sat down next to Lucas. "What's up pretty boy?" he replied to Gary's comment. The two had very similar personalities Ash remembered, and they often traded slick comebacks without end. His name was Drew and he was the kickoff and punt returner for their team. He was the only one to give Lucas a run for his money for fastest man on the team, but definitely had an affinity for putting defenders on their rear.

He shook hands with the rest of the guys and got settled in. "So what's new?"

"Nothing just talking about the coming season," Lucas informed him. "Did you hear we got Norman from Twinleaf?"

Drew nodded with a smirk on his face. "Rest in peace for any wide receiver against us now." Ash nodded. He was already getting excited for season and it was only a short two weeks away. Drew continued on, "Right now I think we just have to worry about the Viridian Hornets." Viridian was the cross-town rival of Kanto High and the rivalry had burst into multiple brawls and intense trash-talk fests previously.

"Yeah they're number 7 on the power rankings right now. Lance Miller is going to have a feast on Ash if we're not ready," Lucas confirmed and joked, getting a laugh from the rest. It was then that someone came up from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. Ash quickly noticed that it was a girl, but not one he had seen before. She also looked a little bit like Lucas…almost like his girl version of himself.

"What's going on?" he asked her, standing up. Ash couldn't hear what she told him since she said it so quietly.

"Ooooo, who's this Lucas?" Gary teased. "Your girl?"

The blue-haired girl gave him a funny look and Lucas shook his head. "She's my sister you dip-shit," he replied loudly. Gary fixed his hair and tried to look away. Lucas then ushered her away, seemingly going to show her around.

Drew laughed when they were out of sight. "You know Gary if your intelligence was as powerful as your lust you'd be the smartest man alive."

As Drew continued to laugh and Gary rub his eyes in embarrassment, Ash couldn't help but keep thinking about the blue-haired girl. Lucas's sister or not, he felt like he needed to get to know her.

"You alright Ash?" Drew asked.

Ash shook himself out of his trance and nodded. "Yeah I'm fine." It was then that the bell rang and it was time for their first class.

* * *

One thing Ash noticed through his first three periods was that his classes were much more senior-centered with less mix of other classes. He actually didn't mind it too much since he found himself with more of his friends in his classes. Calculus was with Lucas, English was with Gary and Drew, who were both just funny to watch slack off, and Physics was with Lucas and Drew.

Ash found himself walking through the halls to his 4th period, which was Economics, but he didn't find any of his friends waiting outside the classroom like usual. Taking it as a sign that he would be alone this time he entered without waiting. The class was normal-sized with a smaller number of desks than normal. He had to guess that it was a smaller class.

After a good look around he couldn't help but recognize Lucas' sister sitting alone in the back corner. She seemed to be extremely focused on her phone, texting or surfing social media he guessed.

He felt like he needed to talk to her…but he questioned the awkwardness of it especially with what had happened with Gary. She must already have an opinion of him.

It was at that point that he was just going to leave her alone, but as he thought about it more, he found himself reconsidering. _You know what…fuck it_ , he thought. The raven-haired boy then approached her.

At first she didn't notice him, still occupied by whatever she was doing on her phone. Ash then cleared his throat to get her attention, and she slowly looked up to him.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" he asked, pointing his finger down at the desk next to her. The girl flashed her eyes down at the desk and then back up to him, seemingly trying to process what he was saying.

"Oh! Y-yes that's fine I don't mind," she replied, seemingly brought back into the real world. Ash nodded and slowly took a seat. The girl didn't seem to have anything else to say after this, so he figured that he would have to spark the conversation.

"Are uh," Ash started, and the girl looked over to him, phone still in hand. "Are you new here?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah…yeah I transferred this year," she then finally put her phone away to his relief. "Wait…aren't you Ash?"

Ash was taken a bit back, since he was shocked that she knew his name. "Y-yeah I am. I'm the Varsity Football quarterback here."

"That's right…I remember my brother talking about you a little. I saw you sitting with him this morning," she recalled. "I'm Dawn by the way."

"Dawn? Alright cool," he acknowledged. "Your brother never really talked much about you last year if at all."

"I don't blame him. There wasn't much to say about me. I used to be the cheer captain for the Sinnoh Flames. I was supposed to come here last year but my parents messed up the paperwork so only my brother made it through," she laughed, Ash made sure to join in. They then had a little moment of silence where they both looked around at who was entering the classroom.

Ash then looked back to her. "I apologize for what my friend said earlier. He isn't exactly known for using his brain."

Dawn shook her head and chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It's not the first time it has happened trust me. You have no idea the drawback for being male and female twins."

Ash shrugged. "I can imagine," they both laughed again. "Still I was worried about what you would think of me."

Dawn waved her hand in the air. "You seem pretty cool and nothing like him. You're fine," she assured him. It was at this time that the teacher entered the classroom and the bell rang for the start of class.

* * *

Once class had finally ended to Ash's relief it was time for lunch, and Dawn went with him to the cafeteria. The sun still had not peaked out of the clouds but the day had reached 65 degrees or so, which was much more tolerable for everyone. Nonetheless they still headed inside to grab their food.

They had finally made it out of the line and headed towards the tables, but Dawn tapped Ash on the shoulder as he headed towards his football friends.

"I'm going to go sit with the cheerleaders over there. I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she told him.

Ash nodded. "Tomorrow it is then, see you," he waved as she headed over and she waved back with a smile. As she left he couldn't shake the feeling of accomplishment, but he didn't know what for.

He then took a seat next to Drew across from Gary and Lucas, who had his eyes narrowed. "That was quick he said."

Ash shook his head. "It's not even like that."

"Sure Ashy, sure thing," Gary teased.

Lucas laughed. "You know I don't care if you want to date her. She's a minute older than me anyway she makes her own decisions." Lucas said as he took a bite out of a chip.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Why do you guys always go there when I'm talking to a girl? You know they're normal people like us."

"Speak for yourself," Drew retorted. "Girls are way different. I was talking to this one girl in my fourth period…I think May was her name…she didn't think any of my pickup lines were good."

"That's because your pickup lines suck Drew," Lucas replied, munching on his chips. "If you talked to them normally you might actually get them to like you."

"Nonsense," Gary said. "A guy with a slick pickup line can get any girl."

"Oh yeah and you're just swimming in them aren't you?" Ash shook his head. Lucas laughed at his joke.

"Go get Dawn's number already," Gary said trying to get Ash off of him. The table just laughed at his obvious frustration.

* * *

Once school had concluded it was time for their first football practice of the school year. Ash, Gary, Drew and Lucas all went onto the field without their pads or helmets since their coach told them to just wear cleats and running clothes. Since they were usually the last ones there, they ran to the huddle were the rest of the team stood around the coach.

The coach spoke up as they arrived. "Now that you're all here you must be wondering why none of you have pads on," the entire team nodded. "Well, today is conditioning to see what kind of shape all of you are in, so get your asses to the goal line, hustle!"

Most of the team made soft groans so the coach didn't hear but they all quickly made their way there. During their run down, Gary got a hit in the back.

"Ha! Look who it is! Oak!" a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"Barry Norman…oh I've been waiting for you," Gary responded. "Still swatting balls?"

The blonde haired corner back laughed. "Swatting yours for sure!" The two then seemed to race each other to the goal line and Ash shook his head. At least they had a reason to compete. He remembered what Barry had done for Twinleaf last year, and he was definitely happy to have his pass defensive abilities on their team.

The team lined up at the line, and Ash noticed Drew and Lucas preparing to compete since they jockeyed for the fastest man on the team. He just made sure he was close behind them. The coach then blew the whistle and they were off for a 100-yard sprint. Lucas pulled ahead early on, but Drew was right on his tail. Ash cruised ahead to the point that he could look left and right to see that only Gary and Barry were the only ones close behind him.

Drew ended up crossing the other line right before Lucas, and the rest of the team followed. Ash slowed down as he crossed it himself, not feeling the least bit tired. Gary and Barry exchanged a few insults as they still competed.

Once everyone caught their breath, the coach yelled, "Again!" and they were off.

* * *

Practice seemed long, but when it was over Ash noticed that it was only 5:00 to his luck. The last thing he wanted to do was head home and prepare for the next day already. He couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Gary and Barry were laughing with each other as they left the field. It seemed that good rivals made good friends after all.

As Ash made his way to the parking lot he noticed that Dawn was sitting alone in front of the school on her phone. "Hey Dawn!" he called as he approached.

"Oh! Hi Ash! How did your practice go?" she asked as he sat down next to her.

"Well we had to run the entire time because our coach hates us," he joked. "My legs are about to fall off."

Dawn laughed. "You definitely look spent. I just came out of cheer practice and I'm just waiting for Lucas to get here so he can drive me home."

Ash nodded. "He wasn't far behind me so-," he was interrupted by loud shouting across the lot.

"Dawn! Let's go!" it was Lucas waving his hands in front of his car.

"Coming!" Dawn replied with a hint of annoyance. "See you tomorrow Ash."

Ash nodded. "See you," he then watched her go. A part of him wanted to chase after her for some reason, but he stayed put. He couldn't describe it but he felt like he wanted to spend way more time with her.

But why? They were just friends…right?

* * *

 **Lemme just say how good it feels to finally be back to Fanfiction. I've been waiting to put this story together for a good month now and I finally got it kick-started. Let me what you guys thought! Please follow/fav and leave a review! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone I'm back for another chapter of "Worth It" and I'm pretty happy with the responses I've received so far. I know that the ending to the last chapter was pretty cliché, but from now on I'm going to try and go against the fanfiction norms. I want this story to be as realistic as possible when it comes to relationships at least, but I'll still make things a bit brighter than real life because real life is no fun.**

 **Anyway, on to the next chapter!**

* * *

 **2 Weeks Later**

" _Let's give it up for your Kanto Warriors_!" the announcer called over the loudspeaker and the crowd let out a mighty roar. To their luck, Ash and his squad's first game was at home against one of the lesser-known teams being the Lavender Coyotes. The scouting report they were given was mostly empty, only reading that they had one good tight end to watch out for. Being on the opposing offense, Ash had no concern over him since he played no part in the defense.

Ash, Drew, Gary and Lucas all took the field with their team and made sure to wave to the crowd and hype them up. Their jerseys were mainly tan but with streaks of red on their legs and shoulders. They also had red numbers and their names in red as well finished with red helmets and logos. Ash got a look over and saw a lot of white with purple on the other side.

After the team huddled up and discussed the game plan, the special teams return unit took the field. Drew grabbed his helmet and placed it on his head and he felt a tap as soon as he put it on.

"Run it on through Drew!" Ash encouraged with his helmet off.

"Oh you already know!" Drew shouted back.

Drew was quickly at the end of the field ready to return the kick. He watched as the Coyotes lined up to kick and he saw the kicker raise his hand.

 _Lavender kicks the ball off and we are underway! Green is back for the kick and he takes it. Here we go the defense has caught up to him but Green finds a hole and he's through! He's at the 30 yardline before he's finally pushed out of bounds! An excellent run by Drew Green!_

Drew let out a couple of dance moves and talked a bit of trash before he made his way back to the sideline to a pumped team. The home crowd was already on their feet making a ton of noise.

"Yeah boy! That's what I'm talking about right there!" Gary shouted as they butted helmets. Drew then received plenty of taps on the helmet and shoulder pads as he made his way to the bench to rest.

It was now time for the offense to take the field and Ash, Lucas and Gary were all ready. Ash prepared himself with a few arm stretches and jumps while Lucas was right next to him.

"Let's send these kids back to Lavender Town crying," Lucas encouraged and Ash laughed in agreement.

 _Warriors have it 1_ _st_ _and 10. Ketchum calls out the play, Oak, Brown and Quick lined up as the wide receivers. Ketchum snaps the ball looking to throw, no it's a hand off to Berlitz who blows through a massive hole in the defensive line! He's finally brought down at the 15, gain of 15 on that play!_

"You guys are weak! Come on now!" Lucas shouted as he got back to his feet and to his team's huddle.

Dawn had her cheerleading squad going, especially for the play her brother had just made. She definitely was used to their football team being successful however, so it was business as usual.

 _Ketchum takes the snap in the shotgun, dropping back. He probes the endzone and fires! It is…CAUGHT BY OAK, TOUCHDOWN WARRIORS!_

The crowd erupted after the Warriors scored off of two plays. Gary executed a perfect touchdown dance that Lucas finished with him. It wasn't long before they had the extra point and were up 7-0.

The Coyotes were stopped easily at the 25-yard line by a superior special teams defense, and Barry took the field. It wasn't long before he found who he had to guard. This wide receiver was a bit shorter than usual.

"Are you their fast guy?" he asked him. The player gave him a nod. "Really? Ok…I was just making sure." The offense then snapped the ball and Barry kept a close eye on the receiver who ran the drag route but cut back towards the sideline again. The quarterback was easily sacked during that time. Barry was sure to get back to his man.

"Hey what route was that?" he asked him, but got no response. "Oh so now you won't talk to me huh?" When he still got no response he laughed and pointed at him. "He mad." He chuckled again as he lined up for the next play.

 _Coyotes snap the ball, the quarterback drops back and fires. It is…PICKED OFF! Norman has the ball and there's no one in front of him! 30, 20, 10, 5…TOUCHDOWN! An excellent pick-6 by Barry Norman and the Warriors have opened up a 13-0 lead!_

Barry dropped the ball and then shot an invisible bow and arrow at the opposing players, which sent penalty flags flying. Ash slowly shook his head while Lucas and Gary laughed their asses off.

"Personal foul, unsportsmanlike conduct, shooting a bow and arrow, number 24 on the defense," the ref announced which was met with boos. "15-yard penalty that will be assessed on the kick."

Barry shook his head and waved it off in annoyance as he made for the sideline. "Shooting a bow and arrow? I mean like what the fuck dude?!"

Ash patted him on the head. "It's alright dude you scored the touchdown."

"Still man," Barry scoffed as he took off his helmet. "That ref's just mad he's ugly as shit." Even Ash couldn't stop himself from laughing after he made that comment.

The Warriors didn't slow down one bit through the rest of the game. Gary nabbed 3 touchdown receptions and 203 yards while Lucas carried 19 times for 154 yards and a rushing touchdown. Drew didn't break the endzone but terrorized the Lavender special teams, giving Ash consistent good field positioning. Ash threw for over 400 yards and 5 passing touchdowns, and Barry got it done on the defensive end, getting a staggering 4 interceptions and 2 of them became touchdowns.

Final score was a demoralizing 56-3 pounding on the Coyotes, and a statement win for the Warriors. Ash definitely entered the locker room with a smile on his face.

The team was getting their gear off together with Lucas, Ash, Barry, Drew and Gary all together bragging about their own accomplishments.

"Man I was running all over that cornerback. That kid stood no chance against me," Gary said as he unwrapped the tape around his ankles.

Barry laughed. "Boy you have no idea. The dude I was guarding I don't think had played before man. I think the quarterback too because he kept throwing to me for some reason."

Lucas chuckled. "Yeah I noticed that. It was like he was trying to lose." Everyone got a good laugh out of that.

"I was running through that special teams like I ran through May's DMs yesterday," Drew claimed and got a scoff from Ash.

"Yeah right. I'll bet she curved your ass," he shook his head.

Drew had a smile on his face, which was not a good sign for Ash's argument. "Actually I have a movie date tomorrow…so you can shut your ass up."

The group then let out an "oooooo" in unison which was finished off with a group laugh at the stupidity of it all.

"Drew's moving up in the world it's about time," Gary bragged.

"At least he'll keep his relationship unlike your thirsty ass," Lucas shot back and everyone was about to start rolling on the floor they were laughing so hard.

"Oh like you've ever had a girlfriend," Gary retorted and Lucas shrugged.

"Haven't found the right girl yet," he responded coolly and Gary only shook his head. "All the good girls are taken honestly. The rest are really undesirable if you ask me."

Gary sighed. "Oh well. Ash, how's it going with you and Dawn?" The group chuckled at the mere mention of the two together.

Ash nodded as he slipped on his street shoes. "It's going pretty good actually. We're getting to know each other better every day, but I still don't know if I really want her as a girlfriend though." He couldn't help but look at Lucas who was listening. It felt a little awkward talking about it with him around that was for sure.

Dawn made him feel…different. He felt more alive when she was with him and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. He didn't call it love…at least not yet…but it was some form of attachment that he didn't want to let go.

"Ah," Drew waved. "Don't rush into it. You'll have time to figure it out don't worry."

It was a bit silent as they returned to their street clothing, but Gary snapped his fingers. "I know! You should ask her to the homecoming dance!"

Barry nodded vigorously. "Yeah you should! It'll be a great way for you two to get closer!"

Ash raised his hands up defensively. "Hey guys…I don't even know if-," but he was drowned out by shouts of approval even from Lucas. "Alright, alright I'll do it." He was then met with " _ayeeee_ " from all of his friends and hugs. He didn't have much of a choice at this point.

* * *

He was in no rush, and none of his friends pressured him either. They knew something like this took time and effort to pull off. They all pitched in ideas as simple as a catchy poster from Lucas to insanity like jumping from the second floor and landing in front of her from Gary. While Ash liked his enthusiasm, he couldn't dance if his legs were broken so he took that off the table. However, he didn't want to do something generic like a poster. It had to be good…and convincing.

He had time, 3 weeks to be exact, until homecoming. They were scheduled to take on the Fuchsia Broncos for the homecoming game the day before the dance. The Broncos were one of the teams in the "Big 5" League which included the Saffron Rockets, Cerulean Dolphins, Celadon Cobras and Cinnabar Eruption. These teams tended to be the powerhouses in the nation, hence the league name. Last year 4 of the 5 teams finished in the top 10 for rankings in the nation, the outlier being the Eruption.

He had to balance his want to ask Dawn to the dance and football. They had big games on the horizon, in fact, the week after homecoming they had a date with the Snowpoint Huskies who had the #1 defense in the league and ranked #2 in the nation overall. It was a must-win if they were to keep their #1 rank.

Ash shook his head and got up from his bed after being lost in thought. It was Saturday and a players' day off. He had to spend it in some way that didn't involve staying at home all day. So, he checked his phone for any recent texts and almost on cue one popped up from Gary.

 _You down to hang?_ He read. Ash quickly replied, _Yeah fo sho. Where tho?_ Ash didn't have to wait long for Gary to reply, since he was likely in the same situation. _Idk let's go to the mall or something. I'll hit up Lucas, Drew and Barry too._

Ash nodded and replied, _Let me know_. Knowing he'd be taking off he grabbed his car keys and wallet from his nightstand and exited his room. He thumped down the stairs and shouted, "Mom! I'm going to go hang out with my friends!"

"Ok honey! Stay safe!" she replied from the kitchen. Ash nodded and headed through the front door and hopped into his car, waiting for Gary's text. After a few minutes his phone buzzed reading: _Alright everyone is down except for Drew. Says he's busy with May -_-. Lucas told me Dawn is busy right now sorry bro._

Ash shook his head. Gary always did that. The second he started talking to a girl he committed every fiber in his body to hooking him up. That wasn't all bad, just sometimes he got out of hand.

Ash then made his way to the mall, music going strong of course. He personally loved rap and R&B, his favorite artist being Future. When the other guys were on his aux Lucas always played Young Thug, Gary played either Chris Brown or Drake while Drew was obsessed with Kodak Black for some reason that Ash didn't understand. To say that their music went hard was an understatement. He had no idea what Barry liked, but he caught him singing Wiz Khalifa a few times so he could guess.

The mall was close to his house to his luck. It was the hang out spot in the area and didn't fail to find kids from his school from time to time. He found a parking spot outside the building and shut his car off. He then checked his phone for any updates and noticed that Gary had told him to meet them at "the regular spot". This was the plaza area with the large fountain that the mall was known for.

It took him a few minutes to get there but he found Gary, Lucas and Barry standing next to the fountain out front of the mall. They all greeted him with routine handshakes.

"It's about time you got here. Your car must be slow as hell!" Lucas teased and got a push in the shoulder from Ash.

"Boy I've been in yours and you were doin 35 in the 50 so stop," Ash shot back and got a laugh from Gary and Barry.

"That's because there was snow you little shit. I don't want to die!"

The two went on and on about their cars while Gary and Barry laughed along at each other's insults and roasts. They agreed that they were all hungry so they stopped by a burrito place to eat. The boys sat down together after they ordered their food.

"Anyway, how's the ladies treating ya'll," Barry brought up. Lucas laughed.

"Pfft. No one seems interesting to me. All the girls that want me are straight deplorable," he responded.

Gary shook his head. "Come on Lucas you could be getting it so good. I wish I could attract as many girls as you to be honest."

Lucas had a shocked look on his face. "Did Gary just admit that? Did a comet fly across the sky last night?" Ash and Barry laughed.

"Credit's given where credit's due, even I honor that," Gary said and fist bumped Lucas. "What about you Barry?"

The blond-haired boy narrowed his eyes. "What you mean? I barely got here. I don't know anyone still." No one argued with him. His excuse was at least valid. It was now that their food was ready so they all grabbed it and sat back down. There was a time of silence as they all began to eat, but they resumed eventually.

"I can't believe Drew is actually trying to date May," Ash spoke up.

Gary shook his head. "Hey man I wish him all the best. He snatched up a good one."

Ash nodded and decided to bring it up. "I think you guys were right. I kinda do like Dawn."

Gary nodded his head in agreement. "Go for it dude! You got her." Ash then flashed a look at Lucas who shrugged.

"I don't care," he said. "Just don't be an asshole."

"Won't be a problem," Ash replied. "You know me." They then returned to eating for a minute until Gary looked up at who entered the restaurant.

"Ah hell no…is that-," he asked. Ash looked back to see Dawn…with Kenny Rose, the starting quarterback for the Snowpoint Huskies…and they were holding hands. He turned back around to contemplate what he just saw, and Lucas was up out of his seat making his way over. He heard a small altercation and Kenny defending himself, Dawn almost shouting at her brother.

"He's not what you think!" he heard her say. It eventually hit the point that Dawn dragged Kenny away from the restaurant to eat somewhere else. Lucas then returned to his seat…fuming.

"What the fuck?! I hate that dude so much…why him?!" Lucas tried to keep himself from shouting. Ash didn't even know what to say. He was almost certain he and Dawn were getting somewhere…but it turns out she didn't see him that way.

"He's a straight asshole dude," Barry agreed. "When I played for Twinleaf last year he was always talking shit the entire game. Felt good to pick his ass off a few times. We even butted each other's helmets a few times and got some nasty words in."

"Oooo I can't wait until we play them. We're gonna take a shit on them," Lucas clenched his fist. Gary nodded in agreement, but Ash still stared downwards. He didn't get it…why did he feel so…shocked? They weren't dating, and honestly weren't even talking, but he still felt like he was maybe getting somewhere.

"It's alright Ash…you should find a girl that actually likes you back," Barry tried to ease him. "Don't waste your time on a fake relationship."

"Yeah…whatever," Ash replied and finished his burrito. He could tell that his friends wanted to help him out, but there wasn't much they could do.

" _Ooooooh_ , these hoes ain't loyal," Gary sang the lyrics to one of his favorite songs.

"No they _aaaaaiiinn't_ ," Barry added on, and everyone laughed, even Ash snuck in a few chuckles. But he just couldn't shake the feeling of a dead end.

Who else was there?

* * *

 **Raise your hand if you've had this happen to you…yeah it sucks. This is unsugar-coated reality guys. You feel like you're getting somewhere with someone and then** _ **bang**_ **…it's gone. You feel like there's no one else in the world when there are plenty.**

 **If you enjoyed please follow/fav and review! Thanks for reading!**

 **P.S. The song they sang at the end was** _ **Loyal**_ **by Chris Brown.**


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